Verbs at the National Aviary

Practice verb usage at the National Aviary.  You can have your child practice use of future tense verbs by asking her what things she thinks the animals will be doing.  Then, have her practice present tense verbs by having her narrate what the animals are currently doing when you see them at the aviary.  Finally, practice past tense verbs by having her tell you what she saw the animals doing once she has left the aviary.  For more fun at home, play a game of charades where you and your child act out verbs that the animals performed at the aviary.

Some verbs that you may practice include:

1. Fly

2. Perch

 3. Eat

 4. Swim

 

 5. Screech

 

 6.  Cuddle

7. Look

8. Preen

 

 9. Sleep

 

10. Flap

11. Sit

 12. Chirp

 13. Drink

 14. Stare

 

 15. Nest

 

 16. Hang

17. Sleep

 

 18. Call

19. Sing

20. Play

To cue your child to use verbs in the future tense,  a good rule of thumb is to say that something "will" happen.  For example, "The bird will chirp."  For the present tense, subject-verb structure is helpful.  For example, "The bird chirps," (in this case we add "-s" to the verb); or "The bird is chirping," (in this case we insert "is" before the verb, and "ing" to the end of the verb).  For the past tense, subject-verb structure is also helpful.  For example, "The bird chirped."  (The key with many regular verbs is to add "-ed" to end of the word.)  The "rules" for verb usage can be confusing, and are not easily taught.  Rather, think of language as an instrument you play by ear (as my AP Language instructor taught us in high school).  Practicing the same structure over and over will help your child learn.  Of course, modeling proper grammar is key so that your child will "absorb" the rules.

Image retrieved from: 1. http://www.aviary.org/birds-and-exhibits 2. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crax_globulosa_at_the_National_Aviary_3.jpg 3. http://www.expedia.com/National-Aviary-Pittsburgh.d6078697.Vacation-Attraction 4.http://www.zelaphas.com/10-photo-tuesday-pittsburgh-aviary/ 5. http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/cities/pittsburgh.htm 6. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2013/12/27/Penguin-chicks-debut-at-National-Aviary/stories/201312270134 (photo credit Bob Donaldson) 7. http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g53449-d272390-i88778856-National_Aviary-Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania.html (photo credit Bethany Leigh Photography) 8.
http://www.duqsm.com/tag/fun-things-to-do-in-pittsburgh/ 9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/11282634754/ 10. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/science/2013/03/20/Let-s-Talk-About-Birds-Spring-is-in-the-air/stories/201303200155 11. http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g53449-d272390-i70207664-National_Aviary-Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania.html 12. http://chasingmailboxes.com/2013/11/08/if-it-quacks-like-a-duck-coffeeneuring-in-pittsburgh-with-sr-part-2-of-2/ 13. http://www.theredheadedtraveler.com/2012/06/pittsburgh-national-aviary.html 14. biddingforgood.com 15. http://www.flickr.com/photos/welshby/5109319977/ 16. http://jasmineblog.wordpress.com/2007/12/ 17. http://www.aviary.org/cloudforest 18. http://www.thermalbirding.com/2011/10/national-aviary-photos/ 19. http://mobarrett.net/photos/domestic/2005/04_pittsburgh/ 20. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guaruba_guarouba_-National_Aviary_-USA-6-2c.jpg

Word List: National Aviary

Word lists containing nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are useful for many goals.  They can be used to target reading, spelling, writing, stuttering, voice strategies, articulation, phonological processes, vocabulary building, sentence structure, etc.  Thus, I have decided to post word lists relating to Pittsburgh.  This one is centered on the National Aviary, although you can use it while bird watching in your own backyard or at a park.  Obviously there are many, many words that pertain to this area so I have tried to limit my lists to 25-50 words.  If there is a word that you would like to be included, please post below!

I highly recommend visiting the aviary.  It is amazing how up close and personal you can get with the birds, which is thrilling for children of any age.  Many of the exhibits are walk-through with free-flying birds.  It is my new favorite place in Pittsburgh.  

Image retrieved from http://www.makefive.com/categories/experiences/travel/places-to-visit-in-pittsburgh1/national-aviary; posted by plmiller.

Image retrieved from aviary.org.

As with each of my lists, I suggest bringing it with you while you are out and about at any location.  Feel free to give this list directly to your child (if she can read) and have her check off each of the words that she encounters; customize the words for her particular goals.  (If you need some suggestions, please post below or e-mail me.)  Explain any unfamiliar words to her.

Admission

Aviary

Beak

Bird

Cage

Call

Canary

Chirp

Condor

Conservation

Contribute

Crest

Drink

Eagle

Eat

Egg

Feather

Feed

Field

Flipper

Float

Flock

Fly

Food

Fowl

Grassland

Hatch

Howl

Injury

Jump

Laboratory

Membership

Millet

Molt

Nectar

Nest

Owl

Parrot

Penguin

Perch

Rabbit

Rainforest

Run

Seed

Sing

Sloth

Sloth (yes, there is a sloth at the aviary!)

Swim

Swim

Talon

Tropical

Veterinarian

Walk

Water

Wildlife

Wing

What's next for pgh-slp?

I am currently working on photographs and ideas from the following Pittsburgh locations:

 The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

The National Aviary

The Phipps Conservatory (Pictured from left: Sister (a neuro intensive care nurse from MD), Dad (a retired public health professional from NY), Me!)

What Pittsburgh locations would you like to see?  What sorts of treatments are you interested in?  Post below!